Pokemon Mystery Dungeon - Explorers of the Stormy Sky
by DarkLordMephiles
Summary: I... am Dialga, the Legendary Pokémon of Time. And for the first time in my memory, I have a story worth telling all of you. The story of how two seemingly average Pokémon accomplished something unthinkable... they stopped me from destroying their future. This is their story... the story of Team Legend. (Possible additional genre - Romance)
1. Chapter 1

_**Intro/Author's Note: This is a story based off of my time playing PMD: Explorers of Darkness... and Sky, to a lesser extent. If any of you read my short entry 'Final Words to My Greatest Friend', it's about those same two characters. The characters you know may not be quite the same as you remember them, nor the world identical either - no, this time things might get a bit... stormy (title pun!) for our little heroes. Now this story will not be updated particularly often, as it's more of a side project I'm doing among other things. I may or may not extend it to the post-game story, and that's to be decided later. But I hope you all enjoy, and I look forward to seeing what you have to say; be it criticism or otherwise... or to let me know if I chose the wrong genres. Please correct me on that if necessary. **__**And finally, purely bold text - like that below - is Dialga speaking directly to 'his audience'. That is all. **_

_**Now... on with the story.**_

* * *

**I... am Dialga, the Legendary Pokémon of Time. And for the first time in my memory, I have a story worth telling all of you. The story of how two seemingly average Pokémon accomplished something unthinkable... they stopped me from destroying their future. Sacrifices were made, friends were gained and lost... and something else was found along the way. This is their story... the story of Team Legend.**

* * *

It was a calm evening in Treasure Town - the Kecleon brothers were closing up their stall, Kangaskhan had already headed in for the night, and everything was quiet in the sunset-bathed town. And finally, just like any other day, one resident Chikorita was walking past the town's entrance in defeat.

"There I go again... why can't the Guild be less scary?" she muttered sadly to herself - as she had for the past several weeks, she had tried to get into the town's main 'attraction', Wigglytuff's Explorers Guild. And just like the last few tries, she couldn't even get past the sentry that never failed to startle her.

So, also in her normal 'routine', our Chikorita walked glumly down to the beach below the cliff-side town. Along the way, she kept berating herself for 'being such a coward', or 'believing in a foolish dream of exploring' - little did she know that her dream was not quite as foolish or out of reach as she might think.

However, even a frustrated Pokémon like Chikorita couldn't stay stressed at the sight of the sun setting on the horizon of the beach. In fact, that was why she was here - the sound of the ocean, the gathered Krabby blowing bubbles over the water, and the sunlight reflecting off of them had the combined effect of just... washing away anything, leaving her calm and content.

Even still, she let out a sigh. "Maybe I shouldn't bother... if I can't even get past the door, what chance do I have at actually _doing _anything?" After a moment, she reached with a vine into the small pouch that hung around her neck, pulling out a stone fragment barely small enough to fit inside the pouch. At first glance it was just a rock, but there was actually a strange, complex design inscribed on its flat side. _'… but then I'd never find out what this is...' _

Her thoughts were interrupted by a weak, pained groan further down the beach. She looked over at where it came from, and gasped - laid out on the sand was a Chimchar, and even from where she stood it looked absolutely soaked. Taking only a second to put her stone fragment away, she ran over to the motionless fire-type. "Oh Arceus, are you okay!?"

Again the Chimchar groaned before slowly pushing himself up. _'Ugh... what happened?' _It took him a second to see where he was, and more specifically, who was directly in front of him. With a brief shout of surprise he jumped back. "Wh-what _are _you?!" The question earned him a confused look from Chikorita.

"What, you've never seen a Chikorita before?" That made him think - he'd heard that before, but where... _'Agh... why can't I remember? Wait- I can't remember __**anything**__! Except...' _For just a moment, the beach and Chikorita were gone - something, a memory, flashed through his head.

_"Fl-re, h-ld on! Ju-t a li-tle lon-r!" _

He tried to hold onto what little there was; to remember something more, or at least more clearly - but it was already gone. Only one word stuck in his mind: _'Fl... Flare? Is that what it said? Is that my name, Flare?'_

"Hey, are you alright?" After a moment of refocusing he saw Chikorita waving a paw in his face, looking worried. "What happened to you?" The Chimchar shook his head to clear it, then finally took a look around before answering. _'Where... where even __**am **__I?'_

When he asked as much, he got a shocked look from Chikorita. "Wait- you don't know? You're right outside Treasure Town - how could you not know that?!" Then something occurred to her. "What... what _do _you know?"

He was silent for a moment as he tried to sort out his thoughts. "… my name, I think... Flare." After saying it out loud, something clicked in his mind - that was definitely his name, but he knew _what _he was too. "And... I'm human?" he added uncertainly.

"Human?!" Chikorita went back to looking confused. "But... you look like a Chimchar to me... and there hasn't been a human around for... well, I've never seen one." Instantly, Flare stumbled over to the water and looked down at his reflection. _'… this isn't right. I don't know how I know, but this isn't a human... she's right, I am something else.'_

"… you're not joking." Flare looked back to Chikorita, who had a look of realization on her face. "You... actually think you were human!"

For some reason, the comment made Flare snap. "I _know _I was!" he shouted, glaring at her. But an instant later, he blinked and shook his head. "S-sorry... I guess I just need something to be certain about. And... well, that's gonna be it." Surprisingly, she wasn't angry or scared like he had thought - instead, the Chikorita gave him an almost pitying smile.

"It's alright. As... weird as this is, I think I believe you." She glanced back at the sun - or what was left of it. Somehow, it had gone from just touching the horizon to being half 'gone'. "Whoa - it's getting late! Um... do you have anywhere to go?"

"… no, not really... I don't really even know where I am, remember?" Flare replied slowly, unsure where the Chikorita was going with this.

"Right, right - sorry. But... well, I guess you can stay with me? I mean, if you want that is; I think it'd be better than having nowhere to go, and it's only right that I try to help-" She stopped talking when she heard Flare laughing quietly. After a second of surprised quiet, she shouted "Hey! What's so funny!?"

The Chimchar quickly stopped laughing and shook his head. "Sorry - it's just..." He hesitated for a moment before continuing, and had the sunset not been obscuring it, one might have seen a faint red tint on his face. "Well, you're kinda... well, cute when you're nervous." As soon as the words were said, he was surprised at himself. _'Wait- where did THAT come from?! Why did I go and say that; I must still be out of it...' _

Perhaps fortunately for him, Chikorita was stunned into silence for a moment. But it didn't last long, as what he said caught up with her. "L-look, do you want to come along or not? Because... I'm going!" Turning around quickly, coincidentally hiding her face in the process, she started walking back to the trail leading to town.

Unfortunately, it seemed that somebody else had been at the beach as well - two Pokémon, in fact, with not so kind intentions. As she stepped onto the path, a Zubat came barreling out of the trees framing the trail, 'accidentally' clipping the pouch hanging around her neck. The contained stone fragment fell to the ground, only to be picked up by a second newcomer - a Koffing.

"Whoa-ho, what d'we have here?" the Koffing asked in a wheezing voice, chuckling mischievously. "Somethin' valuable, maybe? Sure we could get somethin' for it..." He noticed Chikorita step forward and laughed. "Oh, sorry - this little thing yours?"

"Y-yeah, it is - can I have that back?" she asked shakily - something about this one made her feel uneasy. That feeling was only supported by Koffing laughing again.

"Heh, sure... come get it." he said, with an obviously fake 'sincerity'. And of course, the moment Chikorita stepped towards him the Zubat flew into her out of nowhere, sending her to the ground. "Aw, come on - you want this back, don't ya? You doin' okay?" When she didn't get back up, he dropped the transparent 'concern' and chuckled. But it was the Zubat who spoke this time.

"C'mon, let's leave the chicken - the Chief will wanna see this!" the bat said, sneering down at Chikorita. "'Sides, she ain't gonna do nothin'." Without another word between them, the two Pokémon moved back down the beach, disappearing into the cave at its end.

As soon as they were gone, Flare dashed over to Chikorita. "A-are you alright?" he asked, helping her up. When she was standing, he quickly realized she was trying not to cry. "What'd they take from you?"

She seemed to focus long enough to answer. "T-that stone... I've had it as long as I can remember... I n-need it back, but..." Before she could say anything else, Flare muttered something angrily under his breath, then glanced over at the cave.

"… well, what're we waiting for? They said you'd have to get it yourself - so let's get it back!" he said, his determined expression making him... almost fierce. Then he smiled at the Chikorita and added, "You'll have help, of course... hey! I never got your name."

"O-oh, sorry; it's Serita. And... thanks." she replied quickly, shaking her head to clear it. "You... sure you want to help? I could-" Flare cut her off, shaking his head.

"OOH no, you're not keeping me out of this one. I'm helping, and they're gonna get a beatdown." Somewhere in the back of his mind, Flare wondered how he was dealing with this so well... but at the moment, it really didn't matter. Motioning for Serita to follow him, he ran into the cave. _'Something tells me... this is gonna be weird.'_

**_Beach Cave - Lower Floor One_**

And right he was - from the moment they entered the cave, it seemed to be shifting. The walls were too... ordered to be natural, and the ground was too flat. It soon became apparent that somehow, the cave was set up like a sort of labyrinth - many twists and turns ended in dead ends, making them have to turn back. And then there were the Pokémon...

"Another one, behind you Flare!"

The Chimchar whirled around to scratch at the sneaky Kabuto's shell, making it collapse to the ground like many others. He spared a glance at Serita and nodded once. "Thanks. But how long does this go on-" Almost as if to answer his question, he saw a... strangely out of place set of stairs leading down. They were made of the same rocky material as the ground, but they were just as strange as the rest of the cave. "… well, we haven't found them yet - maybe they're down a level?"

With nothing else to do, they descended the stairway. It brought them to another, similar 'room' lower in the cave... but the stairs behind them were gone. "W-what? What _is _this place? It's not normal..." Flare muttered, shaking his head - even with what little he knew, this didn't make any sense. "Ugh... thinking about this makes my head hurt- Serita, watch out!" And just like that, they were back to fighting their way through the caves.

**_Beach Cave - Lower Floor Four_**

"This can't go on much further..." Serita sighed, glancing around. By now, they were getting tired - the endless, strangely aggressive Pokémon were taking their toll on the duo, and the caves themselves seemed determined to throw them off.

Flare let out an irritated sigh of his own. "Where are they..." As soon as he said it, a faint voice echoed through the cave.

_"Where's the Chief? He said he'd be here..." _

Instantly Flare figured out where the voice was coming from. "Follow me! They're close." Without another word, he bolted down the nearest 'corridor' and smirked as he saw the now-familiar stairs. "Yep - let's see how they are when someone actually stands up to 'em."

**_Beach Cave Pit_**

The much larger 'room' they found themselves in was a natural-looking cave, sand coating the ground and the ocean flowing in through the cave's opening. And looking around, confused, were Koffing and Zubat, the latter now holding the stone fragment. It didn't take the two long to notice Flare and Serita, and their reaction was expected - a sneer and a laugh.

"Well, now - the wimps decided to come apologize! Whoa-ho-ho..." Koffing taunted, bobbing up and down in the air. Then he seemed to notice the determined glare on the duo's faces. "...or did you grow a spine, and think you can take this back?"

The gas-spewing Pokémon's question made Zubat laugh even harder. "Heh-heh... look at the Chikorita - shakin' like the leaf on 'er head!" It was true - Serita was shaking, whether from fear or anticipation however none could tell. "This is gonna be easy!"

"Will ya shut up already?!" Flare shouted, small embers drifting out his mouth. "Are you going to give it back or what?" The Chimchar's outburst seemed to surprise everyone - lost memories or not, he _hated _a bully and a thief... and these two were both.

"Whoa-ho, someone's got a _fiery _temper-" Koffing was cut off by a small stream of fire, scorching his face. He blinked twice, then glared at Flare, who just had an expression somewhere between infuriated and disbelief.

"Skip the puns, gasbag. That was horrible. Now let's get this over with." Glancing over at Serita, who seemed to be holding back a laugh - probably due to the Koffing's comical look - he added, "You handle the bat - gasbag's mine." She nodded once and fixed the Zubat with a glare - they were all waiting to see who would start things off.

Ultimately, Koffing made the first move; he belched forth a cloud of smoke at Flare, the fumes quickly making his vision blurry. "Gah - dirty trick, ya coward..." he snapped, trying to see through the smoke. But blinded as he was, Koffing's follow-up charge sent him sprawling to the ground.

Zubat wasn't playing any fairer - with a loud screech he set Serita's ears ringing, making it even harder for her to concentrate. "Heh-heh... Ya really think you were gonna beat us? Can't even get a hit-" A swarm of razor sharp leaves cut across his wings, literally cutting him off.

Dizzy, stumbling but now angry, Serita glared at the bat-like Pokémon. "I- we _are _going to beat you!" she said, shaking her head to clear it. "R-right Flare?" The Chikorita's only response was a coughing fit as Flare jumped to his feet.

Koffing surged forwards, not giving the Chimchar a chance to recover before tackling him back to the ground. "Nah, how 'bout you just stay down. Make things easier on yourself." he said, laughing as Flare tried and failed to get back up.

_'Ugh... for cowards... they're tougher than they look...' _he thought, wincing even as he tried to block out the pain. _'Just gonna... wait a minute. Get 'em when... they think I'm out of it...' _With that thought, he let himself go limp on the sandy ground.

**At this point, it was obvious who would win the remaining fight. Two against one, with the disadvantage lying with one naturally wishing to shy away from conflict. However, what happened next, even I could not have predicted. **

With Flare seemingly incapable of fighting, both Koffing and Zubat turned on Serita. "Heh-heh... well now, you're friend's right out, ain't he? Looks like we win, don't ya say?" The bat Pokémon flew a bit closer, starting to circle the frightened Chikorita.

"Yep, I'd say so..." Koffing replied with a dark chuckle. "'course, we've been around this town a long time... can't have ya lettin' everyone know just what _'horrible Pokémon' _we are, can we? That'd just ruin everythin' we got planned." That statement made Serita take a step back, even more afraid than she already had been.

"W-what are you... g-going to do?" she asked unsteadily, fearing whatever the answer would be. When the response came from Zubat, behind her, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"We're gonna have ta shut ya up, ain't we? Heh-heh..." He flew right past her head to stop next to Koffing, both of them with a more than unfriendly smirk. "Nighty-night, little chicken..."

Before Serita had the chance to react, Koffing spewed out a dark green cloud of poisonous gas - its effect was almost immediate. The Chikorita couldn't stop herself from gasping in surprise, and accidently inhaled the gas. Seconds later she started shaking, not out of fear this time but pain as the poison took effect, and fell to the ground with a cry.

After waiting for a few moments to make sure she wasn't going anywhere, the two poison types snickered to themselves and started moving to the cave's exit. But just as they reached the opening, a searing hot stream of fire shot through the air in front of them, and the cave's temperature shot up faster than they could blink. When they turned around, they saw Flare standing between them and Serita with a glare that somehow fixed them in place.

"You two... aren't quite _done!_" he shouted, his normally small flame 'tail' now wrapped around him like a cloak of fire. "You _disgust _me... you're cowards, bullies, and worse... you tried to _kill _her!" the furious Chimchar continued, stalking towards the nervous duo. He came to a halt merely a foot away, the intense heat from his flames making them both sweat. Then, very slowly and quietly, he said "Give... me... the stone."

When they hesitated to move he shot another, white-hot stream of fire at the ground beneath them. "I said _give it to me!_" Immediately the stone fragment was dropped to the now-glassy ground by a shaking Zubat. After picking it up, the flames surrounding him somehow bending away from the rock, he looked back to the two with the same vicious glare. "Now get out... before I lose my temper." At the tone of his voice, the poison types left so fast that a dust cloud lingered in their wake.

As soon as Flare was sure they were gone, the flames died down and he ran over to the downed and shivering Chikorita. Her eyes were closed, and her normally greenish skin had paled to a sickly yellow. _'Not much time...' _he thought, mind racing. _'She mentioned a town earlier... might be her only shot.' _With no other option, he managed to pick her up and started making his way to the cave's exit - but not before carefully putting the stone into its pouch around her neck.

Despite the Chimchar's utterly lacking knowledge of the area, it took little time for him to make it to Treasure Town. But it seemed that luck simply wasn't with him - looking to his left, into the town itself, he noticed that everyone seemed to be asleep. _'Great... didn't think of that...' _he thought, glancing up at the night sky. _'… how long was I down there?' _The thought left his mind quickly when he noticed Serita was turning strangely cold.

"No, you hang on..." he muttered, glancing around franticly before seeing a set of stairs carved into the cliffside in front of him, though where they led to he couldn't see. "… gonna have to try." he sighed, already climbing up the rocky steps. _'Hold on now... just a little longer...' _

Meanwhile, there was one Pokémon still awake, late as it was - the ever-watchful sentry of the Wigglytuff Guild, Diglett. Chosen for his surprising ability to identify nearly any Pokémon merely but footprint, as well as his obvious sensitivity to the ground. And perhaps it was lucky that Diglett _was _awake - for if he had not been, nobody would have noticed the Chimchar staggering up the steps to the guild with a Chikorita in his arms, or seen him collapse to the ground out of sheer exhaustion.

Fortunately this was not the case. Diglett _did _notice, and within minutes the two unconscious Pokémon were carried down into the guild's cliffside base. It didn't take long for them to realize what was wrong with the Chikorita, and after force-feeding her a Pecha berry it seemed her only problem would be exhaustion - and that merely took rest to cure. So as there happened to be an unclaimed room in the base, the two were set down in the nest-like beds.

As the group was shooed out by Chimecho, who doubled as the guild's cook, team organizer, and sometimes 'healer', nobody noticed Serita half-consciously drag herself over to the sleeping Flare and curl up beside him before falling asleep herself.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N - Alright, so this chapter is quite a bit earlier than I'd expected. Guess my writing got away from me a bit - oh well, not complaining. It might not be the most action-packed chapter (understatement of the century, maybe) - but worry not; that will come. Anybody who has played the games knows that... but hopefully I can mix things up a bit. Also, I'm curious to know what everyone thinks of how I shift the characters - good, bad, accurate... whatever ya think. Now I will shut up, and let this get rolling.**_

When Flare first became aware of anything, he found himself in the confusing situation of waking up in what looked like a nest, with a Chikorita sleeping next to him. _'What... did I miss something?' _It took several seconds for him to remember what had happened the previous day - but still not everything matched up. _'Oh, right... well, at least I got her out of there alive, then.' _he thought with a relieved smile._ 'But where are we now?'_

With that question in mind, he took a brief look around the room. Somewhat bare, the area seemed to simply be cut out of rock - only the 'nest' he and Serita were on, as well as one other, took any space on the strangely smoothed floor, and a single round window allowed sunlight to stream in from outside. The only exit led down a similarly walled hallway, and standing in the doorway was...

"Hey, CHATOT! They're finally AWAKE!"

Loudred's shout quite literally shook the room, completely deafening Flare and shocking Serita awake. The Chimchar staggered to his feet - or tried to, but only managed to get himself up on one knee rather than lying down. _'Agh - that's a hell of a wake-up call...' _

"You keep your voice down! You are _far _too loud!" The somehow both melodic and grating voice came from Chatot, who fluttered past the boxy, loud-voiced Pokémon to land beside Flare. "Now then - perhaps you could explain just why you collapsed outside our guild, hm?"

The Chimchar started explaining what had happened - or what he could remember, that is. Wisely, he left out the part about having been human - something told him that would not be the best thing to spread around. He detailed his waking up on the beach and meeting Serita, their eventual push through the cave 'dungeon', and the fight against Koffing and Zubat - the latter with quite a bit of anger in his voice. "Then I... guess I carried her here, and... well, that's that." he finished somewhat lamely, shrugging.

The whole time, Serita remained silent; at first out of the shock of being woken up, and later from surprise at what Flare had done. She was not alone - by the time he was done, there was barely enough room for everyone who'd piled into the room to listen, and they were all just as surprised as she was.

Then, after a short moment of silence, Chatot said "My, that is... quite the eventful evening you had! It is rare to say, but I am impressed."

Another voice, further back - the frog-like Croagunk's, which was surprising enough as he rarely spoke - asked "Tell us... what team did _you _come from?" Flare's response was a confused look, and an equally confused question.

"What d'you mean... team?" Immediately the room filled with surprised shouts from everybody, including Serita. It was impossible to single out any voice, but they all asked the same thing - "You don't know what an exploration team is?!" When he shook his head, Chatot covered his face with a wing, muttering something about wasted potential.

"The concept is simple - a team of Pokémon, tasked with assisting those who can't help themselves; with the occasional unexplored dungeon to break up the pace, of course!" the bird explained, after managing to calm everyone else down. "You happen to be in the presence of the highest rated Exploration Guild around, in fact!" he added with _just _a touch of pride.

After hearing that, Serita finally spoke up. "W-wait - this is Wigglytuff's Guild!?" she asked excitedly, jumping up and apparently forgetting everything else.

"Of course! What did you think this was, hm? Nothing else it could be!" Chatot replied, somewhat irritated - as glad as he was that they had made it, this whole event was disrupting absolutely everything. "Now if you please, you'll have to be going now!" At the duo's protest - as well as that of some of the others in the room - he shook his head sharply and said "While we might have made an exception overnight, only guild members are allowed inside the base - especially with everything going on outside of the town!"

Flare gave the bird Pokémon another confused look. "Just... assume I'm new here, and have no idea what's going on - what _is _the problem?" Of course, that was not far from the truth - he had also, though accidently, left out his complete lack of memory during his own explanation.

Chatot looked at the Chimchar with utter disbelief before letting out a sigh. "Very well. As unlikely as it sounds, time itself is falling out of order all around the world. At the same time, more and more Pokémon are apparently taking to... darker deeds, like those two you encountered." He waited a moment to ensure Flare was keeping up before continuing. "The one other issue is the re-emergence of 'Mystery Dungeons' - strange, shifting mazes filled with unnaturally aggressive Pokémon. The cave you two made your way through is one of these."

"They've always been around; some of them are useful ways to cross massive distances, if you can make it through. But now... more and more are taking their places in the world, and it's become dangerous to go anywhere alone." Chatot shifted his wings and looked between the two for a moment. _'… there's certainly something strange about those two...' _he thought, before shaking the thought away. He clapped his wings together and said "With that out of the way, out you go! There is much work for us to do, and we've no more time to waste!"

The others who had crammed into the room started trickling out, muttering irritated to themselves. Soon enough it was only Chatot, Flare and Serita remaining in the room. Chatot gave them an impatient look and gestured at the exit with a wing, but Flare had one more question before he would leave. "You mentioned 'teams' that help out with all the troubles going around..."

Immediately the other two shifted attitudes; Chatot cocked his head to the side in interest, and Serita seemed almost hopeful. When he wasn't interrupted, the Chimchar continued. "I was wondering... could I make one of those teams?"

"Hm... I'm not sure, with you two." Inwardly Chatot was smiling at the request, but there was a sort of... ritual he had made out of this. "The training is quite harsh - many recruits tougher than yourselves have been forced to back out, honestly. Although I will admit... you have a sort of determination, and that may help you. However..." He deliberately left the sentence hanging, always enjoying the suspense and varied looks potential recruits inevitably had. "… the Guildmaster will have to decide."

He quickly led them out of the room, both Pokémon following behind closely. They exited into a significantly larger chamber of the base, with a single ladder leading up built into the longest wall. Opposite from them was another hallway, and a strange bubbling cauldron set against the wall next to it. But Chatot ignored all of this, instead stopping next to a doorway to their right. "Just one moment." he said, edging the door open with a wing. "Guildmaster - two Pokémon are here to join the guild!"

There was no response, but Chatot waved them inside anyway. "Come on now, he does not like waiting!" Flare and Serita stepped into the room, finding it larger than theirs but smaller than the chamber they had just left. A few closed chests were scattered around, and a single wooden chair stood in the back near the room's only window. Sitting in this chair, his back to the small group was who could only be the Guild's leader - a task which would surely take an experienced fighter, one with the sharpest mind to be found, or perhaps a simply amazing explorer, inspiring awe in all who saw him.

However the pink, rabbit-like Wigglytuff that whirled around to smile at them... was obviously none of these things. "Well hey there, friends! How ya doin'? Just a _miraculous _day today, isn't it?" The group's reactions were... varied - Chatot covered his face with a wing, shaking his head; Flare simply gave the Guildmaster an incredulous look, and Serita just seemed confused. "Ya had something to say, Chatot?" Wigglytuff asked, focusing briefly on the bird.

Clearing his throat quickly, Chatot nodded. "Yes, Guildmaster. These two wish to form an exploration team, and I felt it only right to leave it up to you." However... erratic he knew Wigglytuff to be, he was still the Guildmaster - and Chatot knew better than anyone that he certainly wasn't the idiot he appeared.

For a moment, Wigglytuff held one 'hand' to his chin, thinking - it looked odd for the otherwise... comical Pokémon. "… okay then! Friends, miraculous friends everywhere - what's the team name, then?" The question made both Flare and Serita pause - they hadn't thought of that, not that there had been much time.

They started going back and forth with each other about various names, each discarded as quickly as the last, until finally Serita suggested one that seemed to have an odd effect on... well, everything. "Maybe... we could be Team Legend?" As soon as she said it, the sense of the room shifted; the air seemed charged, and for just a second everyone's skin felt like sparks were coursing over it. Then just as quickly the feeling faded, but it was something that was not likely to be forgotten so quickly.

Flare shook it off first; with a genuine smile, he nodded. "Yeah... that feels about right. Flare and Serita, founders of Team Legend!" His attitude seemed to spread to all of them, as even Chatot allowed himself a faint smile.

Wigglytuff nodded once, his large ears bobbing forward. "Righty-right, then! Team Legend... welcome to the guild! Yoom-TAH!" Without missing a beat, he spun around once - and somehow, he was now holding a small chest in his hands. He set the chest down in front of Flare and stepped back. "Open it, open it!"

Inside was a map - Chatot described it as a 'Wonder Map', that would somehow update itself whenever new areas were discovered -, a pair of orb-like badges with wings extending from both sides, a bag that was obviously meant to be worn over the shoulder, and two long, silky ribbons - one silver, one a sky blue. Flare took the silver one and fit the fabric around his neck, tying a simple knot to keep his new scarf in place.

At the same time, Serita had done the same with the remaining blue one... or was attempting to. It turned out that vines were not quite dexterous enough to tie knots. Flare noticed and had to hide an amused smile - she seemed more likely to tie up her own vines at the rate she was going. "Here, let me help..."

Eventually the new team was led out by Chatot, who stopped them just outside the Guild's entrance. "Now then, you two... as it's nearing evening, you will not be taking any missions today." At his words, the two seemed quite disappointed. He held up a wing to stop whatever they might be about to say, and continued. "However, in light of your... adventure last night, I think you certainly deserve something for such an effort."

He held his other wing out, and dropped a small pile of gold-colored coins with a 'P' engraved on both sides into their treasure bag. "The usual reward for an 'High-E' rank mission - 200 Poké. If you would take my advice, it would be to make sure your teammate is familiar with the town." he said, directing the last part to Serita. "Now, be quite sure to return before dark - as of now, you will be living with the rest of the Guild, and you do _not _want to miss dinner!"

They both nodded, and Chatot disappeared back into the guild base. After a few moments Serita turned to look at Flare, with simply the happiest expression on her face. "I didn't get to say thanks for... well, saving me last night, mainly." Her smile faltered for just a second, remembering what happened. "But also for this; I've wanted to join the guild for so long, and just couldn't do it myself. So... really, thank you!"

Flare shrugged with a sheepish smile of his own. "Not a problem, trust me - not quite sure who I used to be, but if I'm starting over... well, may as well be a nice guy, right? I was glad to help - even if I didn't know about you wanting to join in the first place. And... well, as for saving you..." He trailed off, his expression going blank for a moment before shaking his head. "… couldn't just let the first person I met die, could I?"

"Well... either way, a decent 'thanks' is the least I could do..." Serita glanced down at the ground, and for a minute neither of them spoke. Then she remembered what Chatot had suggested, and started walking towards the steps leading away from the guild. "Come on - time to introduce you to the town!" Flare chuckled quietly, following along quickly - after all, was always a good idea to get to know your neighbors.

Elsewhere, in a certain forest far from Treasure Town, a green blur of a Pokémon darted through the trees. This Pokémon was not merely wandering - no, he had quite the mission in mind. _'It can't be much further... this is the right area, I'm sure of that.' _He stopped for a moment in the branches of a tree, quickly scanning the area. _'… Did this one have a guardian? Two of them were unguarded, but which ones? Too many questions... too little time.'_

With that thought and a moment's rest, he sprang forward and continued through the forest. He was not alone, but there was a sense of foreboding that followed this Pokémon - the area's residents knew to steer clear of him, but for what reason they did not know. He could only hope they had the sense to leave the area before his work was done...


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: This story is really writing itself, as far as I'm concerned - makes sense, I guess. As one internet reviewer once said, 'It's become less me writing you (the story) what to do, and more you telling me what to write!' For those who read my other story, I'm obviously still working on that. In fact, a chapter of -that- probably went up at about the same time as this. So never fear on that point. Without further ado, I give you... chapter three.**_

"For only having fruits to work with, Chimecho's a great cook!" Flare remarked, following Serita into their room at the guild. They'd spent quite a bit of time in town, meeting the eccentric Kecleon brothers, the perpetually mother-like Kangaskhan, and the somewhat eerie bank-owner Duskull. But eventually they had to come back, if only not to miss what turned out to be a surprisingly good meal.

The Chikorita nodded with a smile, already laying down in the farther of the two 'nests' in the room. "She really is - you should see what she cooks up for the summer festival!" she replied happily, settling in. "… to think, I- no, _we're_ actually part of Wigglytuff's Guild... it's amazing."

Flare flopped down on his own nest, looking up at the ceiling with his arms behind his head. "… Hey Serita, I've got a question." She shifted to look at him and nodded for him to continue. "Well... that rock we got back... what is it?"

In response the Chikorita pulled the fragment out of its pouch, laying it on the ground between them. The moonlight through the window shone on it, making the strange chalk-like pattern on its surface nearly glow. "I don't know what it is..." she said as the Chimchar sat up to look at her. "… but I've had it for a really long time. I call it a Relic Fragment, since it seems like it was part of something... well, ancient once."

"It's really why I wanted to be an explorer... so I could someday find out what it really is." she continued, staring wistfully at the fragment. "Discovering ancient ruins... clues to the past, the treasures left behind - it's just... so exciting to think about!" She seemed to snap out of a trance as she chuckled quietly and added, "But hey, I bet this is all so boring to you..."

"Not at all!" Flare replied quickly, shaking his head. "It actually does sound cool, when you say it that way." He thought about something for a moment before adding, "I'd bet that you're bound to find out what that is - I'll help the whole way!"

Serita gave him a genuinely happy smile before saying anything. "You know, you might be right. We'll figure it out, _and _what happened to you, together. Team Legend, all the way!" She laughed when she was done, relaxing into the nest again before letting out a yawn. "We should get some sleep... good night, Flare."

"Night, Serita." he said with a smile of his own, laying back. However, he just stared through the window at the full moon outside, and thought. _'I almost forgot about how I ended up here... how __**did **__I end up here? I remember... someone calling me...'_

_**"Flare, hold on! Just a little longer!" **_

_'But... who was it? I feel like I should know the voice...' _he thought, slowly getting frustrated with his lacking memory. _'Oh well... like she said, might as well get some sleep...' _Eventually, despite his thoughts flying everywhere, the Chimchar did finally fall asleep... and he dreamed.

_Flare found himself in darkness - simply floating in what seemed like an endless void. Then something, a green glowing... gear, faded into view in front of him. One by one, four others appeared next to the first; each was interlocked with another, and the entire combination was rotating smoothly. Somehow, that... reassured him - it meant things were going well._

_Then, a shadow covered the gears - their glow dimmed, and they ground to a halt. Slowly the green turned to gray, and the gears began to crack. He tried to move forward, to at least force them to spin again - but he could do nothing. Finally they simply... stopped; stopped fading, cracking... and separated. Each flew to a different 'corner' of the darkness, eventually disappearing from sight entirely. _

_The darkness itself began to change: subtly but swiftly turning to the same grey color, and that was somehow more disturbing than anything else. As the grey crept closer, he started feeling... heavy, and slow - breathing was difficult, and he couldn't even call vainly for help. His own body turning white and grey and still, he noticed another color right in front of him - green, a very pale but __**alive **__green... and behind it, a chilling blue eye._

"WAKE UP, you two! It's MORNING!"

The Chimchar never thought he would be relieved to hear that ear-bursting loud shout, but anything that tore him from... whatever _that _was... was welcome. That didn't stop him from secretly wanting to hit Loudred as he staggered to his feet, watching an irritated Serita do the same, of course. "Aagh... _why _is he so loud..." she whined, glaring at Loudred's retreating form. "I hope this isn't the routine... let's go."

All Flare could do was nod silently, still more than shaken by what he just woke up from. His silence got him a strange look from Serita, but she seemed like she was going to wait before asking anything. The two made their way down the hallway and took their places in the lines that the other members had formed. Standing in front of the lines were Chatot and Wigglytuff, although whether the latter was _awake_ - that was anyone's guess.

Chatot cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention. "Alright then - before we get started, I want to introduce our new apprentices: Flare and Serita, of Team Legend!" Everyone turned to look at the two Pokémon; some in surprise and some seeming like they'd expected it. "Guildmaster, anything to say to our new team?" he asked after a moment, looking back at Wigglytuff.

"Mmph... one more apple, please..."

Flare and Serita just stared at the wide-eyed Guildmaster for a moment in disbelief. _'He's... sound asleep.' _Flare realized, dumbfounded. _'How does that even...' _Around them, the other members simply let out a collective sigh, as if this happened every day.

Quickly, Chatot flapped his wings out of frustration and said, "Now now, enough gawking - there's work to be done! Get a move on, you lot!" With that, the group broke apart - each presumably going to... whatever they did for the guild. Seeing Flare and Serita looking around dumbly for a moment, Chatot sighed and fluttered/hopped over to them. "You two follow me; I'll explain how-"

"Pokémon detected! Pokémon detected! It's... Drowzee! The Pokémon is Drowzee!" Diglett called out, interrupting and irritating Chatot. "He... wants to talk to Team Legend!" _That _confused everyone - it was rare to have a specific team requested for anything, let alone one of fresh recruits.

With a drawn out sigh, Chatot called back, "Let him in." The sound of the wooden gate opening echoed down the base, followed closely by the slightly hunched form of Drowzee climbing down the ladder. "This is Team Legend... you have a request for them?"

The Psychic nodded quickly, his short trunk-like nose flopping. "Yes - two absolute _fiends _stole my pendulum. It may seem to be no large issue, but it was given me by my father; I simply cannot lose it!" He noticed the obvious confusion on their faces and added, "I overheard you two in town yesterday - you seemed kind and capable enough. Will you help me?"

Chatot seemed to think about it for a moment, but Flare needed no such delay. "'Course we will! After all, we've got to start somewhere... right, Chatot?" He looked over at the bird Pokémon, silently asking to go - and finally, he relented.

"Very well. It may serve as a fine enough proving mission, after all..."

Flare managed a faint smile, mirrored by Serita. Drowzee stepped forward and vigorously shook the Chimchar's hand. "Thank you, ever so much!" He did the same with Serita, though obviously in her case it was a vine. "I'll eagerly await your return!"

"Not a problem - we'll be back soon." Serita replied, already headed up the ladder. "Come on, Flare!" The Chimchar chuckled quietly at her eagerness, and started to follow. However, just as he reached the ladder he began to feel strangely dizzy. _'What the... what's happening?' _Like before, when he woke up on the beach, his surroundings simply vanished; he could see nothing, but a voice echoed through his head.

_"N-no, leave me alone! S-someone, help!" "Shut up! Just do as I say, and this won't have to get painful."_

Just as quickly as it happened, the feeling was gone. He was leaning against the wall beside the ladder, vaguely aware that someone was talking to him. _'What was that? I know the first voice... that was Azurill; the little brother of Marill that we met in town. But the second one...' _

"Flare, you okay?" He dazedly looked up to see Serita giving him a concerned look. Without really listening he nodded, quickly climbing up after her. But as he moved to leave the guild's entrance, she stopped him. "No, really - you've been out of it since we woke up. What's wrong?"

The Chimchar hesitated a moment before sighing. "I'll tell you on the way. Let's just... make sure we've got everything we need, first." In response, Serita pulled open their treasure bag, showing it already filled with various berries, as well as a single blue Escape Orb given to them by the Kecleon brothers 'just in case'. "… right. Then let's go."

Their target 'dungeon' wasn't too far away - it had appeared in Mt. Bristle, a lone mountain not far from the town. However, it was far enough that Flare had ample time to describe his dream from the night before. Recalling it was not difficult, however telling it brought back the same disturbing feelings it had caused. When he was done, Serita had stopped in her tracks. "Those gears you mentioned... they sound like Time Gears..." she said, sounding worried.

"Time Gears? What are those?"

The Chikorita started walking again, but also began to answer. "Well... they're supposedly green gears, like you described. There's said to be five of them, scattered across the continent - and they keep time flowing smoothly." Her voice took on a tone similar to when she'd been talking about ancient ruins the night before. "It's said that if you take one, time itself will come to a stop wherever the gear was... but no one, not even the most sinister Pokémon would _dare _go near them!"

Flare was quiet for the next few minutes, thinking about what she said. _'Time Gears... that's what those were. But was that... just a dream? I don't think so; there's more to it than that.'_ He also thought about telling her about his odd experience just before leaving, but decided not to. _'Not yet... if I was just hearing things, I'll look like an idiot.'_

It didn't take them long to find the dungeon entrance. Without hesitating, Serita turned to him and said "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get through this." Flare nodded once, and the duo walked into the cave that would lead into... whatever they were in for this time.

**Now, I am sure you have no wish to be bored with the repetitive details of the team's crawl through a dungeon. Therefore, for the sake of keeping things moving along, I shall mention only noteworthy events. Here then, let me see... ah yes, this is worth mentioning, most definitely...**

_**Mt. Bristle - Floor Six**_

At first, everything went well; the first several floors were no problem, as the attacking Pokémon either easily scared or easily beaten. Useful items - Oran berries and seeds, mostly - were scattered almost at random throughout the dungeon, and their treasure bag was nearly full. However, after climbing another set of stairs to what seemed to be an empty room, Flare started to feel worried.

"Something's not right..." he muttered, looking around. Along the southern wall of the room was a spike carved out of the rock, and hanging from it was a slowly swinging pendulum on a simple string. "Well... there's what Drowzee wanted. Although... why's it just hanging there?" he asked Serita, who simply shrugged.

Flare hesitated a moment before walking over to the spike. He reached out to grab the pendulum, but a voice stopped him. "Wouldn't touch that, ya know." Turning around, he saw a Machop leaning against the wall close to the nearest 'hallway' out of the room. There was nothing different about him, save the leaf-like wrappings around his hands. "Looks 'bit like a trap, don't it? Bit too easy."

Serita took a few steps toward the Pokémon. "What d'you mean? It is a bit weird, but..."

"He's right." She turned to look at Flare, who was in turn looking closer at the spike. "This was placed here, obviously - not something just taken and dropped off." He quickly snatched the pendulum and stepped back - just in time for another set of purple spikes to shoot out of the wall, barely missing him. As the spikes slid back into the wall, he heard clapping.

"Hey, nicely done. Ya dodged that right quick; the ol' Psychic underestimated ya, looks like." the Machop was saying, now walking closer to them. "Gutsy too, knowin' it was a trap to begin with."

Flare held out a hand to stop him. "Hold on – 'old Psychic'? You know who set this up?"

The Pokémon nodded. "Yea', I do. Some Drowzee came an' set it there. Thought it was 'bit weird at the time, but was none o' my business." He noticed the surprised looks on the duo's faces and added, "Ya know the ol' Drowzee, then?"

"Yeah, we do - he's the one who sent us to grab this thing." Serita replied, nodding. "But... why would he try to get us hurt?"

While she was thinking, Flare turned the pendulum over in his hand. _'Why, indeed... wait...' _He thought back to the weird 'vision' - what else could he call it? - from before they left the guild. _'That second voice, the one I didn't recognize...' _"We should get back, Serita. Something about all this stinks, and I'm gonna find out what."

"Hey now, ya be careful." Flare turned to look back at the Machop, who was holding his hand out to shake. "When ya find the ol' Psychic, tell 'im Bruce said he ain't welcome back." Unable to help it, the Chimchar managed a smile and shook his hand.

"Right. We'll do that, Bruce." He started to turn away, ready to head back, when something occurred to him. "By the way... I'm Flare, and that's Serita." he said, as the mentioned Chikorita walked beside him. "Nice meeting someone who didn't try to attack us - hope we see you around sometime."

As the two used their Guild badges to teleport themselves away, Bruce allowed himself a smirk. "Ah, I think ya both are gonna see me 'round real soon." With nothing left to do, the Machop vanished into the dungeon's labyrinth.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N - And the story continues. The team's first encounter with Drowzee went rather differently, didn't it? Well, it's time for them to find out just what that was all about. I hope you all enjoy the chapter, as always, and please let me know what ya think. Also, if there's a Pokémon you want to join the team, leave the suggestion in your review - you just might see 'em later. Finally, to use an often repeated phrase on this site... 'please read and review!'**_

"I'm sorry, you say that your client... set you up?" Chatot, quite honestly, couldn't believe what he was hearing - it was unthinkable for somebody to _fake _a legitimate request! But that was exactly what he had just been told, after watching Team Legend storm into the guild. "How can you be sure?"

Flare threw the pendulum to the ground, glaring at it. "Because this thing wasn't just lying on the ground. It was hanging from a spike, and a poison trap was in the wall it was hanging from!" He looked back at Chatot and added, "Where _is _Drowzee?"

The bird shifted his wings almost nervously - the Chimchar was _quite _angry, and he did not like being in the crossfire as it were. "Well now, he left the Guild shortly after you two. So I have no idea, sadly - you might try asking around town, however." When the duo didn't say anything further, Chatot quickly flutter-hopped away - this was not something he wanted anything to do with!

Meanwhile, Serita let out an irritated sigh. "Great... our first job, and it turns out to be a trap... but why?" She'd been asking the same question the entire way back to the guild, and neither of them had an answer... except that wasn't entirely true.

"… I might know. But... I need to think about it first. I'll tell you after dinner." Flare finished just as Chimecho rang the bell for the mentioned meal.

"Dinner's up, everyone!" she called, quickly darting out of the way of the near-stampede of hungry Pokémon. As always, the long table was set with bowls of seemingly every berry and fruit you could find. And as always, the food began vanishing as soon as everyone had sat down - with the usual compliments to Chimecho, of course.

Afterwards, everybody headed to their rooms for the night - including Team Legend, who were the only ones not entirely content. When they had settled into their nests, Serita asked "So... you said you might know why Drowzee set us up?"

Flare nodded once, not looking at her but at the moon outside. "Just before we left, I... well, I don't know _what _happened; but I heard a weird call for help - it was Azurill, the little guy we met in town. And I heard someone else shut him up, tell him to cooperate... I didn't recognize the voice at first." He hesitated a moment before adding "But now I know who I heard."

"… wait, you think it was Drowzee?" she asked, after taking a moment to think. "But... that didn't happen, because he was right with us at the time."

The Chimchar nodded. "Yeah, I know. But... well, it's got me on edge. If he _did _set us up - and that trap could have killed either of us - then I wouldn't put it past him to try something. But why would he want Azurill?"

Serita didn't say anything - neither of them knew why, how could they? The water Pokémon had nothing, giving whatever he and his brother could to help their mother - the Kecleon brothers had explained that to them. Finally she shook her head and said "We'll ask about Drowzee tomorrow... hopefully we can get some answers. For now... good night."

Flare nodded silently, not taking his eyes from the window. _'I have.. a really bad feeling about this...' _he thought with a sigh. _'Hope that Azurill's going to be alright...' _Once again, the Chimchar managed to calm his thoughts enough to sleep.

The next morning began as the last - Loudred woke them, they got in line for the 'guild cheers' (which apparently, Chatot had somehow forgotten the day before), and the Guildmaster... well, he was once again fast asleep on his feet. However, after everybody went to their jobs, Chatot gestured for Flare and Serita to follow him.

Leading them up to the second floor of the base, he said "You did well yesterday - as unexpected as it was, your mission was completed. You've proven quite well enough that you can handle a simple retrieval mission..." He let the sentence trail off when they stopped in front of one of the two notice boards on the walls of the floor. "But can you handle an outlaw, a Pokémon turned to darker deeds? That is what I'm going to test now! I want you to look over this board, and find an outlaw you think you may be able to handle."

Flare glanced over the board - you could barely see the wooden paneling underneath, with how many notices covered it. Some were mere thieves, but others were wanted for things as severe as killing. But his search was interrupted by a shaky vine tapping his shoulder. "F-flare, look..." Serita pointed at a Wanted note half-covered by the many others, one that showed a familiar face.

Under the bold 'Wanted' line was a sketch of none other than Drowzee. Then came the one who posted the notice, followed by the promised reward. And under that, his offences: thievery, psychically manipulating others, and... "Kidnapping..." Flare said it like a curse, ripping the note off the board. He all but shoved the paper in Chatot's face, saying "We're taking this one. Let's get geared up, Serita."

Flare was far from happy now - he'd been right, he just _knew _it. Before anybody could think of protesting, he'd climbed up the ladder and vanished, Serita hurriedly following behind. They made their way into town, where they found Marill being comforted by the Kecleon brothers.

"Now, now - surely your brother will be found quickly and safely." Gren, the green brother, was saying with a saddened look, patting the crying Marill on the back.

Len, the purple one, nodded quickly. "Yes, yes - after all, Wigglytuff's guild is likely already on the job. Come now, don't cry..." He happened to look up and saw the approaching duo, then shook his head. "My apologies, we are not trading right now-"

Flare cut him off with a shake of his head, then walked over to Marill and asked "Azurill's gone?" When the young water-type simply nodded, unable to stop crying, he clenched his fist. "Did Drowzee take him?" This time, Marill did stop - he looked up at the Chimchar in surprise, managing to only sniffle.

"How did you..."

In response, Flare held out the wanted notice. "We're going after him. We'll get Azurill back, don't worry." He gave Marill a confident smirk, hiding his anger with the outlaw well.

Gren seemed to teleport behind the stall's counter, he sprang up so fast. "Excellent, excellent! Surely you need supplies - free of charge, for such an endeavor!" He dug around under the counter for a moment before coming back up with a small bag. "Three Oran berries, a bundle of ten iron thorns, and our last two stocked Reviver Seeds. No charge, again - simply bring Azurill home safely."

Serita wrapped a vine around the bag and thanked the brothers, to which Len replied "No thanks necessary. We're happy to help, of course! Will there be anything else, anything at all?"

Flare shook his head, putting the contents of the bag into their own. "No. We can't waste any more time; there's an outlaw to find." he said after slinging their treasure bag over his shoulder. He adjusted the knot holding his scarf in place and looked down at the sniffling Marill. "We've got this, don't worry yourself. Gren and Len, you keep him safe while we're gone."

With that he turned around and started walking to the crossroads leading out of the town. As Serita started to follow, leaving behind the waving Kecleon brothers and Marill, she just had to stop and watch him walking away; with how determined he was, his silvery scarf catching the wind and glinting in the light behind him, it made him look... _'Like a hero...' _she thought, a faint smile on her face. _'… he's a good Pokémon. But... is he even really a Pokémon?'_

Predictably, Drowzee was reported to have been seen at Mt. Bristle on the notice. Already knowing the way, it took the duo not twenty minutes at the fast pace they had taken - however, unlike their previous visit to the mountain dungeon, the entrance was blocked by a Pokémon; a Machop, with leaves wrapped around its fists. "Ah, ya made yer way back, then."

A faint smirk split Flare's face as he walked up to the Pokémon. "You were expecting us, Bruce?" he asked unnecessarily - it was obvious, of course.

"Aye, I was. Yer 'friend' Drowzee made 'is way through here not lon' ago. Draggin' a little one along too, confused an' cryin'." Bruce replied sourly, his odd accent doing nothing to disguise his disgust. "Couldn' do nothin' myself. I know when I'm losin' a fight 'fore it's even begun. But maybe the two o' ya... well, ya might stand a chance."

Flare stared at the Machop for a moment, then looked up at the mountain's peak. "… want to come along?" he asked suddenly, not shifting his gaze. "You've got as much issue with Drowzee's actions as we do, looks like. And I've got an odd feeling... we might need the help."

Bruce seemed surprised for a second, then smiled. "Ya got that right. Flare, weren't it? Nice to be workin' with ya." He held out his hand to shake - much like last time - which Flare took. "Now then, ol' psychic was on 'is way to the top. Not much to see up there, but he ain't come back down, neither. If ya take my 'dvice, we should get goin'."

Flare nodded once and gestured for them to go inside. _'We're coming, Azurill. Don't you worry...'_

The trek through the mountain went smoothly - Bruce quickly proved how capable he was, as nothing he faced stayed in battle for long, either running away or being defeated. At one point, an out of place strip of leather - much like the strap on their treasure bag - was found near the stairs leading out of the floor, and Flare fashioned it into a makeshift 'bandolier' to hold spikes in.

Finally, they found a set of stairs with light streaming into the floor. "Well, guess that's it." Flare muttered, glaring up at the opening. "Everyone ready? I've got a feeling this isn't gonna go smoothly." Bruce and Serita simply nodded, determined looks on both of their faces. "Right, then... let's go." With that, the three of them made their way up the final stairway.

_**Mt. Bristle Peak**_

"Get in there, kid." Drowzee snapped, quickly losing his patience. _'Using such a young kid wasn't the best idea...' _he thought irritably, glaring at the nearly-crying Azurill.

"W-where's my brother? You s-said he was coming t-too, right?" he asked shakily, his eyes starting to tear up.

Drowzee let out a quiet laugh, but it wasn't a happy one - it sounded downright malicious, in fact. "Sorry to tell you, but your brother isn't coming. Now listen up-" He stopped, hearing Azurill start crying. "No, you be quiet, kid... don't get me angry."

Azurill bounced backwards on his ball-like tail, shaking his head. "N-no, leave me alone! S-someone, help!"

Now Drowzee was getting angry. He glared at the water-type and snarled, "Shut up! Just do as I say, and this won't have to get painful." To make his point, a sharp rock floated off the ground near Azurill. "Now listen here; you get in there..." he pointed at a crack in in the back wall, just big enough for the young Pokémon to fit. "… and get the treasure I know is inside. Do that... and we'll all forget this _ever_ happened."

"Not all of us, Drowzee."

The Psychic-type whirled around to see quite the angry trio - flames coated Flare's hands, Bruce cracked his knuckles and fixed Drowzee with a glare, and Serita's vines were out and ready to fight. Flare stepped forward and pulled out his explorer's badge. "By the authority of Wigglytuff's Explorer's Guild, you're under arrest, Drowzee." He pressed the center of the badge, making it glow brightly for a moment before settling into a subtle blinking.

"… you're Team Legend." Drowzee said finally, giving the trio a tired-looking stare. "They sent a rookie team after me? I'm honestly insulted." He looked over each in turn, then let out a dry chuckle. "An amnesiac, a coward, and a stray Machop - this is the great 'Team Legend' meant to bring me in... I think not." With that he shifted his stance, holding his arms loosely in front of him. "Worry not, you will survive - and I shall be long gone."

It was Flare who started the battle in earnest; he 'scratched' at the air in front of him, sending the fire around his hand streaking towards Drowzee, who didn't flinch as it splashed against an invisible barrier. "You will have to do better than that." he said flatly, only for his eyes to widen as Bruce came rushing through the dissipating flames to deliver a sharp chop to his arm.

Quickly jumping back from Drowzee, the Machop smirked. "Ya want me to do better, eh? An' yer sure about that?" The Psychic responded with a shoving motion, and Bruce was sent tumbling back from a telekinetic push. He skidded to a stop on his knees, hurt but definitely not out of the fight.

Drowzee narrowed his eyes, looking around and trying to keep all three of them in sight. He spotted Flare again, trying to get between the psychic and Azurill, who was cowering against the back wall. But oddly enough, he couldn't find...

"This is for Marill!" Serita shouted from behind him, bringing two vines crashing into his side. The force of it sent him staggering back, and the attack was sure to leave a bruise if nothing else.

He shot the grass type a glare as he regained his balance. "Why, you little... AGH!" A metal spike flew into Drowzee's arm, drawing a thin trickle of blood. Holding another in each hand like knives, Flare was in front of the psychic before he could blink.

"Don't make this any harder on yourself than it already is, Drowzee." he said, taking another step forward. Drowzee reacted with a step back, only to bump into Bruce.

The Machop cracked his neck and glared at the psychic, somehow managing to look intimidating despite being a foot shorter than Drowzee. "Really, ya should jus' give up. Make thin's a lot easier on all o' us."

Serita grabbed Drowzee's arm with a vine, the other ready to strike him again. He was at a disadvantage, that much was clear - while he wasn't badly hurt in reality, that would likely change if he tried anything.

Before he could think of a way out of his situation, a loud siren-like sound blared through the area. Three Pokémon - the town's only real peacekeepers, Officer Magnezone and its two Magnemite assistants - floated out of the tunnel. Magnezone swiveled slightly, looking around before saying in an electronic voice "Excellent work! You managed to catch and delay the outlaw. We will take it from here."

The two Magnemite took Bruce and Flare's places beside Drowzee, small sparks flickering between their magnets as they led him over to Magnezone. After a series of unintelligible beeps, they moved on as the officer floated over to Team Legend. "One of you lacks a badge. Stolen?" it asked finally, looking directly at Bruce who just shrugged.

"Nah, not stolen. Just 'cided to help out. Prob'ly gonna stay 'ere now."

Flare glanced from Bruce to Magnezone and said "Actually, if it's... allowed, I guess, I'd like you to join the team, Bruce. If you want, that is - not going to force you."

The Machop seemed surprised, but pleasantly so. "Well now... tha's a new one, it is. Aye, if it's a'ight, I'd be happy to join ya." He turned back to Magnezone and asked "That gonna work, Off'cer?"

The officer seemed to think for a moment, magnets spinning, before answering. "Unorthodox procedure, but not undeserved. Agreed; you have permission of the law." Seemingly from nowhere, an exact copy of Flare and Serita's badges appeared in one of Magnezone's magnets, held out to Bruce.

Taking the offered badge, Bruce smiled. "Pleasure to be workin' with ya, then. We gonna go far, I think... aye, tha' we will." Flare and Serita both nodded with smiles of their own, with Flare shaking the Machop's hand.

"Welcome to the team." he said, before looking over at Serita. "Now for us to get back - with Azurill, of course. C'mon, it's safe to come out!" With the added last part, the young water type hopped out from behind a large rock and glanced around.

"Is... big brother here?" Azurill asked hesitantly, his gaze landing on Flare.

He shook his head, but held his hand out to the Pokémon. "No, he's back at town. We'll take you to him, though - come over here, alright?" Azurill looked around again, then bounced over to the trio. With a smile, Flare pulled out his badge and pressed the center once. "Let's get you home." With a bright flash of light, Magnezone was left alone on the mountain peak.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N - Nope. I've got nothing this time. Running on fumes for writing, recently - writer's block is a bitch. Anyway, I managed to crank out this chapter for ya - I'm pretty happy with it honestly. I'm still taking ideas for at least one more member of Team Legend - send in your Pokemon, with any details you could suggest. Just no Legendaries - I have plans for those ones. With nothing left to say... read on, my friends.**_

* * *

**Three days had passed since Azurill's rescue. Team Legend, now with the addition of the Machop, Bruce, began to build quite the reputation among Treasure Town's residents - more jobs were coming in for them specifically, and it became obvious that they were exactly where they belonged; helping whoever they could. Flare's amnesia went forgotten by even himself, and it almost seemed that life as a whole was going smoothly for everyone.**

**But as everyone, especially myself knows, nothing truly good can last forever. There will always be something to get in the way, to shatter the peace.**

Chimecho called everyone in for dinner once again, easily avoiding the usual stampede into the mess hall. However, just as everyone took their seats and started to dig in, Chatot coughed before saying "Er... I have a grave announcement to make." Instantly every Pokémon in the room started shouting angrily at being interrupted - everyone save Flare, who was simply surprised at how angry they could get over _food _being delayed a minute or two!

"Hey, let him talk!" he finally shouted over the others, actually managing to calm them down - or at least _quiet _them all down. When the shouting had stopped, he looked over the table at Chatot. "Alright, what's going on?"

The bird Pokémon nodded in thanks before answering. "Now, I'm sure all of you know about the legend of the Time Gears, correct?" Everyone begrudgingly nodded - it was something that everyone managed to pick up, living around here. "Well... I have just received some very disturbing news from Treeshroud Forest, far from town; a Time Gear has been stolen."

There was a shocked silence hanging in the air for a moment. Then Loudred spoke up. "WHO could even THINK about doing that?!" he shouted angrily, stomping the ground.

Chatot quickly waved his wings about, before everyone else could start yelling again. "Now, now - hold on! Officer Magnezone has already started investigating this; we very likely have nothing more to worry about!" He looked about at the now either worried or angry - or both - faces in the room and sighed. "There's nothing to be done about it now. I suggest you all eat up, and the Guildmaster and I will discuss how to handle this in the morning."

With that news in mind everyone started eating, but with none of the vigor they usually had. Even the perpetual smile of Wigglytuff was missing as he nibbled at his usual apple. When dinner was done with, the guild split off to their rooms for the night as usual - and as usual, Serita and Flare stayed awake for a few minutes.

"How could someone steal a Time Gear?" the Chikorita asked, looking over at Flare. "I mean... does someone _want _everything to just... stop?"

The Chimchar was laying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. For a moment it seemed like he hadn't heard her, but she barely heard him mutter "Some men... just want to watch the world burn." When she asked him what he meant, he let out a bitter chuckle. "Just... a phrase that came to mind. Probably from when I was human; I think it means that some people - human, Pokémon, whatever - just want to destroy. There's not always a reason beyond that."

Silence followed his statement, as the two of them just... thought. "… well, whoever's doing this, Magnezone'll get them, right?" she asked finally, laid out on her side and facing Flare. When he didn't respond right away, she repeated "… right, Flare? They'll get caught, won't they?"

He shook himself slightly before smiling and turning his head to glance at her. "Yeah. If it's not Magnezone, we'll do it ourselves." A yawn escaped him, followed by a quiet chuckle. "Let's get some sleep, Serita. We'll need it for working tomorrow."

Serita nodded tiredly, already closing her eyes. "Yeah... goodnight, Flare." she muttered, falling asleep almost immediately.

Flare chuckled again, turning his gaze to the window. "G'night, Serita..." he said quietly. Soon enough, the only sound was the two Pokémon's quiet breathing

The next day came like any other; a rude awakening, followed by the usual guild gathering and cheers. But there wasn't as much excitement put into it, and when all was said and done nobody moved - everyone was waiting for what was to be done about the Time Gears.

Chatot glanced quickly from the Guildmaster to the guild members, and sighed. "Very well, I know what you all are waiting for. Yes, the Guildmaster and I have made our decision..." Everyone seemed to lean forward slightly, listening closely. "… you will all go about business as usual."

The response was what one would expect. "WHAT?!" "Oh my gosh, you can't be serious!" "Hey, hey! You've gotta be kidding!" The guild members filled the room with shouts of disbelief, and who could blame them - they were being told to do absolutely nothing.

"Enough!" Chatot's shout managed to quiet everyone down at least for a moment. He cleared his throat, and continued. "Now then... this is not to say we will be doing nothing at all! No, not at all - we will be hard at work trying to catch this thief. And as soon as we know anything, that will become the Guild's sole focus! But until then, continue as you always would."

Everyone groaned in disappointment, but finally went their separate ways. However, as Flare and Serita began to walk off, Chatot called them over. "Ah, not you two - the Guildmaster has a special job for you." he said, beckoning them towards him. When they walked over to him, Chatot looked around to make sure nobody else was listening before continuing.

"Now, you will _never _hear me say this aloud... but the Guildmaster and I are impressed with your skill." he began, nodding to himself. "As such, your team is being given a very important task in the near future. You are being sent to-"

Unfortunately, he was interrupted by a gruff voice shouting from the level above them. "Move aside, weaklings!" Another, this one the unfortunately familiar voice of a certain Zubat, added "Heh-heh, better listen to 'im!"

Flare glared up at the ladder leading upstairs and started walking toward it. "Sorry, got to deal with something, Chatot..." he muttered, not looking back at the bird before scrambling up the ladder with Serita close behind. When he got to the upper level, he saw Zubat and Koffing scanning the job boards, with a new addition: a large Skuntank, pacing across the middle of the floor.

Bidoof, Corphish and Chimecho were all huddled on the opposite side of the room, and for good reason - Skuntank was shrouded in a _horrific _smell, almost like intense rot. "Eugh - hey, what're _you two _doing here?!" Flare shouted, managing to handle the smell that filled the room. Instantly Zubat and Koffing whirled around to look at him before darting behind the Skuntank.

"Hey, that's him Chief - the chump that tried roastin' us!" Koffing said quickly from behind the larger Poison type. The Skuntank, in turn, lazily glanced over at Flare before chuckling.

"Chaw-haw... you really got spooked by that wimp?" he asked, stepping forward. He glared down at the Chimchar before scoffing at the mere idea. "You two're scared of your own shadows... we're done here. Grab the job and let's get out of here." he said, not waiting for the other two as he somehow climbed the ladder out of the guild. He was quickly followed by the two others, Zubat holding a job form in his mouth.

When the trio was gone, Flare walked over to his other guildmates. "You alright guys? Who were those creeps, and what were they _doing _here?" he asked them. Bidoof was the first one to answer him.

"Yup, we're fine - just real smelly in here. But those guys... they're Team Skull." he explained. "Skull's a team of bullies, that's all there is to it."

Flare blinked twice before saying anything else. "… _those _three are an exploration team?! How'd that even go through?"

Corphish simply shrugged. "Hey, hey - I dunno. We just stay out of their way." He sounded like this happened almost regularly. _'Well, I'm not gonna stand for that...' _Flare thought, already determined.

"AHEM!" Chatot stood at the ladder, waiting for everyone's attention. "Flare. If we could continue our little discussion-" Almost like the world had something against the bird, he was interrupted yet again - this time, by Wigglytuff's voice.

"CHATOT! Wait, wait Chatot!"

You could almost see steam rising from where Chatot's ears would be as he slowly turned to look down the ladderway. "What... _is it_... Guildmaster?" he grated out, incredibly close to losing his already short temper.

Wigglytuff, looking up at him from the bottom of the ladder, simply smiled dumbly. "It's not just Legend's job now, Chatot!" When Chatot asked what he meant, the Guildmaster only said "Get our friends back, now! I've got a _fun _job for us!"

_'No... he couldn't mean...' _Chatot shook his head, anger forgotten. "Chimecho! Call the Guild back, now - a change in plans!" he called. The floating Pokémon bobbed her head in a nod before making a shockingly loud bell-like sound. Dazed from it, Chatot thought _'How... does someone so small... make a sound so loud?' _

However she did it, Chimecho did her job - the Guild members surged down the ladder minutes later, filling the second floor of the base. Serita and Flare stood at the front of the group, more because they were there first than anything else, and the last to arrive was Wigglytuff himself. The perpetually happy expression he wore was no different as he looked at his guild and spoke.

"My great friends, I'm here to tell ya something _grand_!" he said loudly, spreading his arms wide for emphasis. "It's been a _loong _time since we've all gone and done something fun together. And I just can't have that... boring-ness." Everyone glanced at each other unsurely, wondering where he was going with this. "So... it's time for a Guild Expedition!"

Silence followed him as everyone waited for more information, which surprisingly Chatot filled. "There's a place far to the East of town, across the mountains, called Fogbound Lake. Nobody knows how to find it, because - as its name would suggest - it lies within a fog-shrouded forest." He paused to let everyone catch up before continuing. "It's also said that some great treasure can be found in the lake itself... if you can find it."

Now everyone was glancing at each other again, but this time it was in pure excitement. Chatot fluttered his wings to regain their attention quickly. "Now, then - we will be leaving in three days time to explore Fogbound Forest, and hopefully the Lake itself. In that time, I suggest you gather supplies - this will be quite the trek, I assure you."

The guild erupted in cheers of excitement, making Chatot smile. "Ah, it's always invigorating to see everyone so ready to work hard..." he said quietly, hopping off to deal with the necessary preparations. But Flare was, while excited, reacting... somewhat differently. _'Fogbound Lake... why does that sound familiar?' _

He didn't get much time to think about it. Serita, literally bouncing in excitement, wrapped a vine around his arm and started pulling him toward the ladder. "Come on, we need to get going! We can't let everyone get the good items before us!" He let out a laugh at her excitement, going along with her. After all, this was going to be their first real adventure... but all adventures brought trials.

**Treasure Town became a whirlwind of activity over the next few days: the Guild was scrambling to gather all the supplies they would need and then some, all while trying to do their normal jobs alongside everything. But with Officer Magnezone's help, and by virtue of their own skilled teams, they managed - and finally the day of the Expedition arrived.**

"UP AND AT 'EM, TEAMS! It's EXPEDITION TIME!" Any other day, Loudred's wake-up call would be resented. But today, everyone bolted up in their rooms and rushed into the main room of the base - today, for many of them, was their chance to really prove themselves as Explorers. Even Chatot seemed excited - genuinely so, for once - when they all lined up as usual.

"Well, well - it seems the time's finally come!" he said proudly, scanning the assembled Guild. "Today, we move out for Fogbound Forest. Now, if you all check your Wonder Maps, you'll see that I've already planned our routes." Everyone looked at their maps, and noticed something odd - there were several, differently colored lines all leading from Treasure Town to where Fogbound Lake was supposed to be.

"Before you all ask, let me explain: it would be far too inconvenient to travel as one large group. No, much faster would be splitting into three groups." Chatot explained. "The Guildmaster and myself, of course, will be in group one - supported by Croagunk and Chimecho." The mentioned Pokémon nodded once, moving to stand beside Chatot.

"The second group will be Corphish, Sunflora, Loudred and Dugtrio." They split off into their own group, leaving only... "And finally - Diglett, Bidoof, and Team Legend will make up the third group." There was a brief moment of hesitation from all four of them - after all, putting who were essentially the Guild's rookies into one team was somewhat odd. But after a moment Flare just smiled and beckoned the two over, and the hesitation was forgotten.

Chatot nodded once as he saw everyone organized. "Excellent - now, there is little point to wasting time. If everyone has their supplies together, then we'll be off!" He paused for a moment before adding "Unless, of course, you have anything else to say, Guildmaster?"

Wigglytuff looked at Chatot blankly, and for a second everyone feared he'd fallen asleep _today _of all days. Then... "Nope! You've got it all right, Chatot!" he shouted suddenly, startling the bird.

"T-thank you... Guildmaster..." Chatot mumbled, shaking his head to get the ringing out of his ears. "Now then - if you're all prepared?" As one, the Guild members nodded excitedly - they were more than ready to get going. "Excellent. In that case... we're off! To Fogbound Lake!"

**It turned out that Chatot had been correct - in the small groups they formed, it took them all little time to cover most of the distance to the forest. However, by the end of the day none of the groups had arrived - all had been forced to cut through some dungeon or another along the way, and it was well known that traveling at night was ill advised these days. Therefore, they were forced to camp through the night .**

Flare let out a sigh of exhaustion, dropping to the rocky ground next to the small fire he'd lit. "Whew, we've gotten pretty far in a day." he said, looking out over the edge of the mountain ridge. Off in the distance, a cluster of lights signified where Treasure Town lay - they had indeed gotten quite far. "Nice job back there Bidoof, by the way - you too, Diglett." he added, glancing at the two tired Pokémon.

"Well golly, thanks - that means a lot, coming from you!" Bidoof replied happily, lying down on his stomach with the fire between them. Diglett popped out of the ground long enough to give his own thanks before vanishing underground again.

Serita was smiling, though she was just as tired as the rest of them. "This is so exciting..." she said, lying down not far from Flare. "Exploring a place nobody's ever been... and the thought of what treasures could be there, too! Oh, I can't wait..."

With a chuckle, Flare nodded. "It _is _pretty exciting, yeah - I'll give you that. But..." His voice trailed off and he shook his head. "Ah, never mind. Let's get some sleep, get up early in the morning - maybe we'll get to the forest before anyone else." The others seemed to agree, all quickly settling in to sleep - all but Flare himself, staring out over the distance.

_'… Why do I feel like I've heard of this place before?' _he wondered, adjusting the knot in his silvery scarf. _'Fogbound Lake... there's something important there, but...' _A chilling wind blew across the ridge, making the already small campfire flicker. Even Flare shivered slightly, and almost instinctively blew a stream of embers at the ground to heat it up. As he rolled onto his back to stare up at the open night sky, he heard something scuffling against the rocky ground.

He turned his head to see Serita had moved closer to the small fire, but she was still shivering from the cold. "… hey, come over here." he said finally, suppressing a sigh. "The fire's gonna die soon, so it'd probably... well, be warmer by me." When she looked over at him in surprise, he added "You know - being a Fire Pokémon, and all... but if it's too awkward, then never mind. Forget I said anything; not sure what I was-"

"Actually... I'd like that." the Chikorita interrupted quietly, walking over to him and lying down against his side. A faint blush colored both of their faces, but she didn't seem uncomfortable - in fact Flare had been right, it _was _comfortably warm next to him. "… thanks, Flare." she muttered before closing her eyes.

"Y-yeah... no problem." was his hesitant reply - he hadn't actually expected her to accept. _'But... well, I guess this __**is **__kinda nice...' _he thought, relaxing a bit. Before they knew it, both Pokémon were sound asleep, content smiles on their faces.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N - Wow, longest chapter yet. ALMOST broke 5k words on this one... damn. So close. Anyway, a little backstory (?) before this one starts: this chapter is half-based on an actual run I had in Foggy Forest on PMD: Explorers of Sky. Don't ask me how, but I managed to accidentally avoid every single Pokemon until about halfway through the dungeon - it was ridiculous. All I can say, that aside, is don't kill me for the end of this one... and please, read and review. Enjoy!**_

When the Guild camp came into view, all four of them could see why the area was called Fogbound Forest. The camp was set at the entrance to the forest, but it was difficult to tell - a thick, almost solid fog obscured almost everything beyond the trees. "Wow... and we're supposed to find a lake in _that_?" Flare asked after a moment, shaking his head. "We'll be lucky to see the ground at our feet!"

"Hey, hey - there they are!" Corphish's distinctive voice called out, and the lobster-like Pokémon waved one red claw at the group. "Hey, hey! Over here!"

Within minutes everyone was gathered in the middle of camp, and Chatot was looking at the late arrivals impatiently. "Well, now - it's about time you got here!" he said, irritation clear in his voice. "The rest of us arrived last night!"

Flare scratched the back of his head sheepishly, saying "Sorry... we got held up. Not sure about you guys, but we had to cut through a dungeon along the way." The response seemed to satisfy Chatot, who just sighed.

"Very well. Now, as you can see, Fogbound Forest has more than earned its name." he said with a sweeping gesture at the trees behind him. "It's clear that we need to remove this fog somehow, if we're to get anywhere. So, that will be your first priority during this expeditions: discover a way to lift the fog." With a clap of his wings, he added "So there's no time to waste - let's get to it!"

Everyone nodded once, their groups already splitting off and heading into the fog. Flare, however, lagged behind as he looked at the trees. _'… I really feel like I've been here before. Or at least heard of it...' _

"Flare, come on!" Serita called, stopped a few feet from the fog. Seeing him looking 'out of it', she walked back to him. "Hey, you alright? Is something wrong?"

The Chimchar shook his head quickly, more to clear it than anything. "N-no, nothing's wrong. It's just... I feel like I've been here before." he replied after a second, sighing. "Doesn't matter - let's go." Just as they started walking, Chimecho called from behind them.

"Wait!" They looked back to see the Pokémon looking somewhat anxious. "Um... you might want to be careful. I didn't get a chance to tell the others - they probably wouldn't listen anyway - but there's a rumor that a powerful Pokémon lives at Fogbound Lake."

Flare and Serita glanced at each other in surprise. "A powerful Pokémon? Is there... anything else to the rumor?" Serita asked, tilting her head. In response, Chimecho nodded.

"Something about... erasing memories, I think. It's just a rumor, but... I'd be careful."

Both Pokémon looked at each other again, before looking back to Chimecho. "We will be, we promise." Flare said with a nod. "Thanks for the warning." With that the duo set off into the forest, Flare's flame 'tail' burning away the fog near them. It did little, but at least they could see where they were going.

**Foggy Forest - Floor One**

Strangely enough, there seemed to be almost no hostile Pokémon for several minutes - and they had definitely passed that strange 'boundary' that seemed to separate a dungeon from the rest of the world. A few Hoothoot watched silently from the trees, but none so much as moved toward the team. Finally Flare broke the silence, saying "This... this is just eerie."

Serita nodded once, her eyes darting around in the fog. "Yeah... the fog isn't helping, either." she agreed, shivering. "How are we even going to find the way onward?" It was a legitimate problem - while they could see around themselves for perhaps ten feet, the grey vapor blocked anything further from view.

"… we'll find it, trust me." Flare said finally, though there was a hint of doubt in his voice. _'She's got a point... I don't even think we could find our way __**back**__.' _he thought, which brought up a whole new problem: would they be lost in this forest, forever? "Yeah... we'll find it." he repeated more quietly, more for his own benefit than anything else.

They walked like this for several minutes, wandering aimlessly. Each step began to bring their hopes down - if anything, the fog seemed to be encroaching ever closer to them. The only sound was the wind blowing through the trees, and their own footsteps on the ground. Then, a strange sound broke the monotony: an odd, swishing sound - like a brush dragged across the ground. Flare's head snapped around to look in the sound's general direction. "Over there - what was that?"

After only a few steps more, Flare's light revealed something marked on the ground in blue. "An arrow? And..." He reached down to touch the mark, and the substance came off wet on his fingers. "… is that paint?" As he looked back at Serita, who was just as confused, the same sound was heard again - in the direction the sloppy arrow pointed. With nothing else to do, the duo followed what turned into a long series of similar marks.

"Where... where do you think it's leading us?" Serita asked, finally breaking the silence again. Flare didn't get a chance to answer, as a now-familiar structure came into their limited view. "T-the stairs! Whoever was leaving those arrows, they led us to the way forward!"

The Chimchar nodded enthusiastically, a smile on his face. "Yeah - maybe they were keeping the other Pokémon away, too? Who knows; we've got to get going!" Without a moment's hesitation he started up the stairs, Serita following closely behind.

**Foggy Forest - Floor Seven**

The duo was getting uneasy again - the same marks had appeared on every floor they'd passed, always leading them to the next 'staircase'. But the entire time, not a single Pokémon had so much as growled their way - in a dungeon, that was definitely not normal. "… you ever think we're walking into a trap again?" Serita asked, looking aside at Flare.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah... it's too quiet. But we can't do much about it in this fog." The Chimchar was constantly glancing around, hoping to catch sight of _anything _that might be hostile... but he continued to see nothing but the ground around them. "Just... keep on your guard, and listen." he finished with a sigh.

Almost on cue, an overly-cheery female voice cut through the silence from behind them. "Hey there - you two lost?" There almost seemed to be a hint of... not sarcasm, but a hidden joke in the question. Flare whirled around to see a grinning Smeargle, its long brush-tipped tail held in one hand and twirling around. "You two look like you're going somewhere... or maybe you're just wandering?"

Flare eyed the Pokémon for a moment before responding. "… we're looking for Fogbound Lake. Can you help us?" he asked, still glancing to the sides. _'This is all too convenient...' _he thought worriedly.

The Smeargle laughed and shook her head in amusement. "I can lead you there, but you won't be getting to the lake. Nobody makes it to the lake - but follow me, if you want to try!" Without waiting for a response she started literally skipping ahead of them, her tail brushing against the ground and leaving an obviously intentional trail of blue paint.

The duo looked at each other and shrugged - what else were they going to do? They quickly started following along, making sure to keep the Smeargle in sight. Along the way, the helpful stranger continued talking. "So, what brings you two to a place like this, hm? It's dangerous out here!" she said with a backwards glance.

It was Serita who responded this time. "We're an Exploration Team - and we heard there's a kind of treasure at Fogbound Lake! Oh, but I just want to _see _the place - somewhere nobody's been before..." She trailed off, making Flare shake his head with a chuckle.

"Yeah, she's got it about right. Even if there is nothing there, it'll be a discovery... if we ever find the blasted lake, that is." he said, his smile showing that he wasn't actually all that annoyed.

_'Hm... these two just might be who I was told to look for... they've got the right attitude, anyway.' _The Smeargle couldn't help but smile as well - she was glad to talk to someone, honestly. "Well, don't you worry - I know how to find it." After a moment's hesitation, she added "In fact... I've got a little gift for you. Catch." The Pokémon produced a faintly glowing red stone seemingly from nowhere and tossed it back at Flare, who caught it quite easily.

Turning the stone over in his hands, he looked at it with confusion. "It's... warm. How does that make sense? It's almost pulsing, too - what is this?" he asked, looking back up at the Smeargle, who simply shrugged.

"What it is, I don't know. Or how it works - but hey, you've got to admit it's pretty cool!" She felt bad for lying, but she _had _made a promise before accepting the stone. In truth, she knew exactly what it was - but they would have to find that out on their own. "By the way, the name's Vita - little late, but nice to meet ya."

Flare nodded once. "I'm Flare, and that's Serita. Nice to meet you, too." He thought for a moment, then added "Thanks for the help back there, by the way." When Vita looked back in surprise, he smirked. "I know it was you, laying the blue arrows for us. Were you keeping the other Pokémon away, too?"

Vita actually stopped for a second before laughing. "Wow, you're a smart one! Yeah, the marks were my doing - and I _did _convince some of the meaner ones to leave you alone, though this place is usually pretty quiet to begin with." She turned to look ahead again, still smiling. "Ah, I know a shortcut." With a second to look around, Vita stomped hard on a section of ground in front of her... and it burst open into a hidden staircase!

**Foggy Forest - Floor... End?**

As it turned out, the stairs - in the strange manner often seen in these dungeons - bypassed however many floors had remained, even passing through what seemed to be a hidden 'bazaar' as Vita called it. After a brief greeting, and explanation of their hurry to move on, the Kirlia that ran the place bid them farewell, and they continued onward. "A nice bunch, those guys... they get kinda lonely, though. I'm not even sure how that place works... it seems to be everywhere!" Vita remarked as they left.

Only minutes later, they emerged into a large clearing - waterfalls streamed down from who knows where, their sources hidden in the still-thick fog. "Wow... this is actually pretty cool!" Flare said, before looking around and frowning. "But... where's the lake?"

Here, Vita shrugged. "I'll be honest, I've never really been to the lake itself. Sorry to disappoint..." she said, looking sincerely sorry. To herself, she added _'Not exactly lying, but...' _"But... there _is _something worth looking at here! A weird statue, though I'm not sure what it's of. Over here." She motioned for them to follow her, and led them further into the clearing until they could see a huge, half-sunken stone statue.

It was tilted heavily to one side, but the form was still clearly visible - a hunched, reptile-like creature with two likely massive clawed arms. The stone seemed to make armored plating on the form's entire construction... except for one place. In its chest, there was a hollowed area - not broken, but almost intentional. And along the side of the base...

"Hey, look at this!" Serita exclaimed, quickly running around to where there seemed to be something etched into the stone. "There's writing here... hold on, let me see..." She took a moment to read the etching before saying anything else. "It says... 'Ignite the fire... in Groudon's heart... and the way to the treasure... will open.'" She paused after reading it aloud, confused. "Groudon? Is that what the statue is called? And what's this... 'Ignite the fire in Groudon's heart' - what does that mean?"

While the Chikorita tried to puzzle it out herself, Flare couldn't shake an odd feeling. _'Groudon... that name feels important, but why?' _He walked over to the statue, and traced one of the etched symbols with his hand. _'Ever since we got here, I've...' _His thoughts were interrupted by a surge of dizziness, making him lean on the base just to keep upright. "Urk... what the..." He faintly heard Serita ask him something, but - similar to what had happened before their encounter with Drowzee - his surroundings blacked out, and a familiar voice that he just couldn't place echoed in his head.

_"Right... right! Put the Drought Stone in the statue's heart... that lifts the fog! Well, nice going... partner. Couldn't have done this without you." _It was that same voice... the one that had said his name, back on the beach when this all began... _'Who IS it?!'_

His vision faded back in, and he saw Serita looking at him worriedly. "-are! Flare, are you alright?" she was asking, one vine shaking him slightly. He nodded once, holding a hand to his head. "W-what happened? You were barely standing for a moment there!"

"I'm... I'm fine, just a bit dizzy that's all." he assured her, shaking the last of the feeling out of his head. _'Drought Stone... maybe...'_ "… S-Serita, that red stone that Vita gave us - can you get it out for me?"

She seemed surprised at the random question but nodded and pulled out the item, dropping it into his hand. "Why do you need it, though?" she asked, watching him walk around to the front of the statue. "Flare, what are you doing?"

The Chimchar glanced back at her and shrugged. "Following a hunch." he replied simply. Then he leapt up on the statue's base and pushed the stone into the hollow in its chest. All three of them froze, waiting for... well, anything to happen - but nothing did. Almost disappointed, Flare moved to take the stone back after a minute. "Well... worth a shot." he muttered. Then, as he was inches away from it... everything began shaking.

"W-whoa!" Flare was thrown off the statue, barely managing to land on his feet. "Wh-what's going on!?" he asked quickly, glancing around. Nobody answered, and he quickly saw why - the statue was beginning to glow. Red lines started to show wherever there was a groove in the stone, and its eyes shone the same bright color.

At the same time, streaks of sunlight started to break through patches of the surrounding fog - and those patches were growing quickly, until only a minute later the fog was gone entirely. When it was all done, the ground slowly stopped trembling and the three Pokémon looked around in surprise. "Y-you did it, Flare!" Serita exclaimed finally, looking at him with a wide smile. "You lifted the fog! But... how'd you know what to do?"

He shrugged in response, not exactly ready to share it yet. "Like I said, I had a hunch. Point is, it really worked - but I still can't see the lake..." The trio glanced at each other, each realizing the same thing - even without the fog, there was still no lake in sight.

"Hey, hey! You did it!" Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice just as Corphish scrambled into the clearing, panting slightly from apparently running for a while. "You got rid of the fog!" he said loudly, moving over to them. "Hey, you two are just on _fire_!"

Flare grinned sheepishly, shaking his head. "It was just luck that my idea worked, that's all Cor." Both Serita and Corphish looked at him strangely, and it took a minute for him to realize it was because of what he called the red-shelled Pokémon. "Oh, it's just a nickname - feels more... right, I guess to give my friends one. If it's alright, that is."

Corphish 'nodded', as difficult as that was considering his body shape. "Hey, hey - no problem, I don't mind." He glanced around, noticing the same thing that they already had. "… there's no lake, though."

Before anybody could say anything further Vita tapped Flare on the shoulder, pointing at one of the waterfalls. "Um... follow that up, and tell me what you see." she said, already looking up herself. The others followed her gaze, and simultaneously let out a surprised gasp.

"So... that's why nobody could find it..." Flare muttered, looking up at the huge 'island' suspended in the air above them, supported only by a seemingly too-thin pillar of rock. "Fogbound Lake... was hidden in the air the whole time..." He turned to look back at Corphish, saying "Cor, go back to the Guild - tell them we found the lake, and bring 'em back here."

The Water Pokémon nodded again, already half-turned to leave. "Hey, hey - you got it! I'll tell them you went ahead; good luck!" he called before scuttling back into the forest.

When he had vanished into the trees, Vita smiled and beckoned for the duo to follow her. "I know where you can get up there - follow me!" she said happily, already moving to lead them ahead. Both Flare and Serita nodded, falling in behind the Smeargle. But just as they were about to leave the clearing...

"Chaw-haw... nicely done, kids." Flare slowly turned around to see Skuntank walking out from behind one of the waterfalls, a smug look on his face. Seconds later his two 'friends', Zubat and Koffing, flew out from behind the same place, both mimicking their Chief's expression. "Thanks for finding the lake for us - we'll take it from here, though."

"Not gonna happen, Skull." Flare snapped, surprising everyone save Serita with how immediately hostile he was toward the trio. "What are you even doing here - go back to picking on the helpless, it's all you're good for!" The bulky Poison type gasped in mock pain, balancing on three paws while holding the fourth over his chest.

"Now, that _hurts_ - how could you think so little of us?" he asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Why, we just wanted to... help out with the expedition, that's all. Chaw-haw... are you going to deny us even that?" As he spoke, he started walking around the trio until both Koffing and himself were blocking their way. "Sorry, kids..." Now, Skuntank's voice lost any sarcasm it had contained. "… but we're taking this treasure. Koffing, let's-"

"Aaaapple!" The unmistakable voice of Wigglytuff made everyone turn their heads, only to see him running into the clearing... chasing an apple. Somehow, the fruit rolled to a stop between Team Skull and Team Legend, and Wigglytuff quickly picked it up and started... talking to it. "It's okay, Perfect Apple... I'll never let anything happen to you..."

"Er... uh, Guildmaster? What're you doing here?" Serita asked hesitantly, still just as surprised as everyone else. "I... thought you were with the others?"

Wigglytuff took a moment even then to notice them, and a moment longer to respond. "Chatot's _boring_... so I had him go looking for... something or other, I forget." he said finally, scratching his head for a second. "Then, I went to find an apple! Then it got away from me, and now I'm here with you friends!" he finished, beaming happily at them.

Team Skull's members looked at each other in confusion, and Skuntank finally settled for looking incredulously at the Guildmaster, thinking _'How did this guy get to be the leader of anything?'_

Flare shook his head, managing not to sigh at the Guildmaster's antics. "Right... well, we just sent Corphish back to tell the rest of the Guild - we found the lake!" he said, with some genuine cheer despite Team Skull's presence.

To his credit, Wigglytuff had already known what was happening. After all, he'd heard it all before 'accidentally' dropping his apple. "Well, that's just grand!" he exclaimed, followed by a shooing motion to the two of them. "You two go on - I want to talk to our new friends!" He gestured at the now-annoyed Poison trio when he said 'friends'.

"… Guildmaster Wigglytuff, surely those two could use some help forging ahead?" Skuntank suggested, hoping to salvage this - for him - rapidly escaping opportunity. And for a moment, it seemed Wigglytuff was actually going to agree. But after a few moments, the large Pokémon shook his head.

"No, they've earned this. We'll come along when the others get here, yep!" That seemed to be that, as he shooed away Flare and Serita again. "Now, go on! No time to waste, right?" For just a second, Flare could've sworn he saw a knowing glint in the Guildmaster's eye, but he shook it off and nodded.

"Right - we'll see you there, Guildmaster!" he said enthusiastically before motioning to Vita. "Alright, lead on." The Smeargle smirked and ran ahead without a word, Team Legend following quickly behind.

When the three were out of sight, Wigglytuff turned to Team Skull with a smile. "Let's play a game!" he said, his voice carrying something... odd, to it. "How about..." The Guildmaster's smile faded as he looked among the three Poison types. "… tag. That would be fun."

… **Strangely enough, I cannot recall what happened after that. For the first time, my memory is blank on this point... my apologies. Instead, perhaps we should follow the 'stars' of this story, as was my intent. Ah, here they are...**

Vita led the duo to the stone column holding up the massive 'island' above their heads, and more specifically to a cavern carved into it. Hot jets of steam erupted from the stone around it, clearly able to scald anyone who came too close. "Sorry, but this is as far as I can take you." she said, disappointment clear in the Smeargle's voice. "Pass through here, and it will lead you up to the lake."

Flare nodded his thanks, moving to enter the cavern when Vita grabbed his shoulder. "One more thing... be careful, you two." she added quickly, glancing at both of them. "The lake's not unguarded - there _is _something there." Again Flare nodded, this time with a determined expression.

"Thanks for the warning, Vita." he said, and Serita nodded in agreement. "We'll be careful, don't worry. There's not a lot we can't handle, as long as we've got each other's backs." He gave her a confident smirk before turning back to the entrance, only a step away from entering. "Appreciate the help. Maybe we'll see you around sometime. But for now... let's go, Serita!" With that, he rushed headlong into the dungeon, followed closely by the Chikorita.

With a drawn-out sigh, Vita slowly walked away from the cave. But not without a final glance back, and a statement more to herself than the already-gone Team Legend. "I hope you're right..." With that last sentence, she vanished behind a blast from a nearby steam vent. Where she went after that... was anyone's guess.

**Steam Cave - Floor One**

"Whoa - it's hot in here..." Serita remarked, already sweating from the sudden change in temperature. Somehow there were puddles of water strewn about the cave's corridors, always emanating steam but never actually vanishing. "I hope it doesn't take too long... I don't know how long I can stand this."

Aside from the heat, it seemed that this dungeon was far less 'quiet' than the forest outside. Almost immediately a Yanma buzzed past them, its eyes tracking them as it looped around to attack. Flare glared at the dragonfly-like Pokémon, a small fire forming in his hand. "Well... looks like we're back to business as usual. Serita, look out - here it comes!"

**Steam Cave - Rest Area**

Of course, the Pokémon was dealt with quickly - as were the many others that tried to interfere as the duo made their way farther and farther up through the cave system. This isn't to say the trek didn't take its toll on them - the attacks and intense heat certainly did, and by the time they stumbled up the seemingly final staircase they were nearly exhausted. Flare made it to the Kangaskhan statue strangely present in the room before collapsing - Serita made it perhaps halfway there before doing the same.

"Are we... really not there yet?" she gasped, lying on her side and looking at Flare. "How much... farther can it be?" The Chimchar shook his head in silence, pulling two Oran berries out of their treasure bag and handing one to her.

"Eat up... can't be much farther." he said briefly, biting into his own berry. As always, the energy-packed berries washed away most of their weariness, even healing the minor injuries they'd taken along the way. Even so, they silently chose to wait here a moment longer - a minute's rest couldn't hurt, after all.

After a few minutes of quiet rest, a slight tremor shook the room. When the duo shot up, looking around warily, a stone-rumbling roar echoed through the area... and it seemed to be coming from ahead and above. "W-what was that?!" Serita asked worriedly, glancing at Flare who seemed just as confused as she was.

"I don't know..." he replied in a similar tone, staring at the exit from the room. "… but we can't turn back now. We're close, I can feel it." He slung the treasure bag back over his shoulder and tightened the knot holding his scarf in place before looking back at Serita. "If you're ready... let's get going. Whatever's waiting for us, we can handle it."

**Foggy Forest - Groudon Statue**

"You're sure they went ahead from here, then?" Chatot asked Corphish, looking warily at the imposing statue half-buried in the ground. When the Pokémon confirmed this, he couldn't help the worried sigh that escaped him. "Oh, why can't those two simply wait..." he muttered irritably.

Bidoof walked up to the bird, also looking at the statue. "Hey, Chatot? Erm... what's that?" he asked hesitantly, worried that perhaps it was a stupid question. Surprisingly, Chatot simply started explaining.

"That is Groudon, a 'Legendary' Pokémon. It is said to have put the land of this world in its place." he explained, inwardly smiling at the rookie's curiosity.

"So, um... sorry, but what would happen if, say... one was to _fight _a Legendary Pokemon?" he pressed, immediately regretting it when Chatot nearly exploded in his face.

"_Fight _a Legendary? Out of the question, absolutely not!" he snapped, looking down at Bidoof. "Only the strongest of the strong could hope to so much as _scratch _them - before being rolled up and tossed aside! No, fighting a Legendary Pokémon would be suicide."

Croagunk, silent the entire trip, finally spoke up. "Team Legend may be in trouble." he said abruptly, staring not at the stature but at the 'island' above them. "We should hurry." Everyone simultaneously looked at him in surprised before what he said actually registered.

"P-precisely! Alright, everybody - let's go, go, go!" Chatot said quickly, flapping his wings slightly in surprise. Almost immediately, the Guild was off again - the only one not worried being Wigglytuff, with his perpetual smile.

**Fogbound Lake - Entry Clearing**

The second half of the dungeon went far more smoothly - the heat had faded slightly, and something had the hostile Pokémon spooked. As such, fewer of them managed to get in the way of the duo, and they made it to the top without much incident. The exit opened into a huge, arena-like area of smooth rock... and just beyond it, they could see the glint of the fading sunlight off of water.

"Flare, there it is! That has to be Fogbound Lake!" Serita said excitedly, hopping up and down. Flare couldn't help but smile too - they'd finally made it! _'It's good to see her so... happy.' _he thought. But their celebration was cut short by another loud roar, _much _closer to them. As they looked around for its source a towering creature appeared seemingly from the rocky walls of the area, its yellow reptilian eyes glaring down at them.

Flare took a moment to realize that he knew this... thing. As it stomped towards them, thick red scales shedding dust, he had to take a step back. "G-Groudon..."

Groudon, for that is exactly who it was, stopped perhaps ten feet in front of them. **"You **_**dare **_**enter this place - disturb me, and those here - without invitation? Leave **_**now**_**, and you will escape unharmed." **he roared, his voice along making loose rocks rattle against the ground.

As intimidating as the Legendary was, Flare refused to back out now. "W-we can't." he said, unable to help the shaking in his voice. "We're looking for... for Fogbound Lake." Instantly he regretted his response, because Groudon stomped the ground _hard_, nearly making the two lose their balance.

**"I am the guardian of Fogbound Lake! You will go no further." **The area somehow flashed brightly, momentarily blinding Flare and Serita. When they could see again, the exit behind them was blocked off somehow. **"Those who trespass in this place... have decided their own fate!"**


End file.
